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There are a lot of factions in Skyrim, from the Stormcloaks to the Imperials, the legendary warriors known as The Companions, Guilds of Assassins and Thieves, and entire Covens filled to the brim with Vampires. But among the most interesting of them is the Dawnguard, as joining up with them lets you channel your inner Van Helsing.
This team of master vampire slayers are all skilled warriors when it comes to taking down the golden-eyed, blood-sucking monstrosities that prowl Tamriel and beyond. They’re available through Skyrim's Dawnguard DLC, which provides a whole new area, monsters, quests, loot, and NPCs to meet along the way. But who exactly are the Dawnguard?
Who Are The Dawnguard?
"Heard they're reforming the Dawnguard. Vampire hunters or something, in the old fort near Riften. Might consider joining up myself."
— The Past Dozen Or So Guards You've Walked Past
Remember in Blade 3 where Wesley Snipes worked with a team of professional Vampire Slayers to take down Count Dracula? The Dawnguard is (not to put too fine a point on it) pretty much like that. They’re a team of warriors of different races from all over the various realms that are equipped with specialized Undead slaying weaponry, and they all bring their own unique skills and personalities to the party. So yes, "Vampire hunters or something" is surprisingly astute.
Fort Dawnguard
They reside within the confines of Fort Dawnguard, a giant castle found after journeying through Dayspring Canyon to the Northwest of Stendarr’s Beacon. It’s a treacherous pilgrimage that only the strong will survive, but it ensures that all who seek to join the Dawnguard's ranks are tough enough to take on the undead and their endless minions.
The Dawnguard have been battling the Vampires for years. It’s a task that is seemingly never-ending, as the Vampirism Curse not only imbues those infected with mighty powers but is also easily transmissible. It’s a brutal war that's fought in secret to keep the rest of the mortal world safe from the hordes of sharp-toothed creatures that lurk in the shadows.
Duty Of The Dawnguard
The Dawnguard's mission is fairly straightforward — the hunting down and eradication of the Vampire menace. They have spies everywhere that help them keep tabs on the goings-on of major cities as well as help them scope out potential targets or Vampire Covens that might have sprung up.
Once a Vampire has been discovered, they immediately exterminate them with extreme prejudice in an all-out attack, through infiltration and assassination, or by hunting them down in the wild. It’s a thorough method of dealing with the Undead, and they have quite the arsenal of Nosferatu-destroying gear to wield.
Though their numbers are small, they still manage to keep the majority of Vampire incidents swept under the rug. However, they manage to stay clandestine enough that their group is often regarded by outsiders as mostly a myth.
When Was The Dawnguard Formed?
The Dawnguard didn’t just spring up overnight, they were first established a long time ago. They were created by the Jarl of Riften during Second Era (Skyrim is set in the Fourth Era, for reference) as a way to hide his son after he had become infected with the Vampire virus. Fort Dawnguard was to be his prison, and the hunters were to be his jailers, charged with keeping this secret shame away from prying eyes while protecting the child of a worried father.
Though Jailers they were originally meant to be, the group was projected to the public at large as the resident Vampire Slayers, keeping the lands safe from the nocturnal menace. Eventually, the group was forced to kill their undead prisoner, which caused them to be banished from the Rift.
Dawnguard Weaponry
Vampires as a species are the perfect nocturnal predators, and they do not go down easy. Alongside their heightened resilience to the elements and most physical attacks, they’re extremely powerful magic users that often have the ability to teleport, turn invisible, summon minions, and much more. In order to take down such a powerful creature, the weaponry in the Dawnguard's arsenal is suitably efficient.
Though you won’t find cloves of Garlic and Wooden Stakes in their tool kits, they do like to wield an assortment of Warhammers, Swords, Dwarven Crossbows, and all sorts of magic. Their wargear is also enchanted and performs better against the undead, dealing Sun Damage which increases in strength with the more Vampires they kill.
They also have their own little stable of tamed monsters — specifically Trolls. Armored Trolls are often found amongst their ranks, provided by fellow Dawnguard member Gunmar, and to label them "effective" instruments in the ongoing conflict against the undead would be a bit of an understatement. They're literally armored beasts, after all.
The Dawnguard In Skyrim Today
Over time they would be disbanded, with their name falling into obscurity amongst the populace and numerous rumors of what happened to them popping up in their wake. By the time of the Fourth Era, the Dawnguard has been resurrected by a Vigilant of Stendarr named Isran after he lost his family to a Vampire attack a few years prior.
Though this new Dawnguard was small in number and their Fort was in dire need of repair, they persisted and struggled on against the Undead menace plaguing the lands. For those that own the DLC, unnamed Dawnguard Warriors can often be found by the Dragonborn patrolling Skyrim and fighting with any Vampires they come across. So it seems that they still have enough personnel to put up a coordinated fight.
Speaking of the DLC, its plot largely revolves around the struggle between said Vampire-slaying warriors and the Volkihar Clan. You've the option to join up with either one, of course, and while we'd like to avoid spoilers, the Dawnguard's storyline is an intriguing one involving ancient prophecies, family betrayal, and a journey beyond the veil of death to the Soul Cairn.